Combination tennis racket press and cover



A. HALPIN Jan. 19, 1932.,

v COMBINATION TENNIS RACKET PRESS AND COVER Filed Feb. l, 1930 .2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEY Jan. 19, 1932. A. HALPIN COMBINATION TENNIS RACKET PRESS AND COVER Filed Feb. 1, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented a... 19, 1932 UNITED: STA-res PATENT oerce Applicfitibn. marebnu-y 1. mo. Serial No. 425,114. ,7

This invention relates to combination tennis racket presses and covers. 1

' One object of this invention is to" provide an improved tennis racket press "and cover of p 5 simplified, neat. construction, which shall be easy to operate for insertion and removal of the tennis racket and convenient in use at all times, and which shallafford thorough protection to the tennis racket against warping and moisture, and be reliable andrugged.

. Another object of the invention is the pro- .vision of a combination tennis racket press and cover of improved construction to afford a maximum of air tightness for protection of the gut by simplified co-operation of the press and cover.

A further object of the invention is to furnish a combination tennis racket press and cover having improved detachable;engage- 3 ment with each other.

Otherob'ects. and advantages of the invention wili become apparent as the specification proceeds.

With the aforesaid objects in view, the invention consists in the novel combinations and arrangements of arts hereinafter described in their 7 pointed out in the su trai in the annexed drawings, wherein like parts are designated by the same reference characters throughout the several views.

In the drawings: X A Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a device embodying the invention showing the same applied to a tennis racket. I i

Fig. 2 is an ed e view ofthe same.

Fig. 3 is an en aiiged sectional view taken i .11.

on the line 3-3 of g 1 Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view of a modified means for detachably securing the cover to the press.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view thereof taken on line 5-5 of 4. v

Fig. 6 is a urther modification of an attaching means.

Fig. Tis a view of a modified air sealing combination press and cover. r

The advantages of the invention as here outlined are best realized when all of its features and instrumentalities are combined in re erred embodiments, joined claims, and illusone and the same structure, but, useful devices may be produced embodying less "than I the whole.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains, that the same may be incorporated in several difierent constructions. The accompanying drawings, therefore, are submitted merely as s wing the preferred exemplification of the invention. I i 90 Referring in detail to the drawings, 10 denotes a device embodying the invention, and including a tennis racket press 11 and a cover 12 combined as a unit. The press .and cover. may in themselves be of any conventional con struction, or may be slightly modified, if desired, to suit the particular construction of the device. In order that the invention ma be readily understood, the cover and press wil be briefly described. 1 The cover 12 is made of a fabric,- or the like, and is adapted to receive the tennis racket 13 with the handle 14 of the same extending along the cover or outward from thesam'e through an opening 15, which may be closed by a hand 16. Insertion of the racket into the cover may be accomplished in any suitable manner through, any opening therein, or through the said opening 15. i

The press 11 includes a pair-of frame members 17, 18 adapted to receive the tennis racket therebetween. These frame members may be of any suitable shape to properly retain the tennis racket between parallel planes. A plu- ,rality of screws 19 suitably located draw the frame members strongly together. These screws may be of any well known type, and may be operated b wing nuts20.

To inter-engage t e tennis racket cover and press, the former has re 'stering holes 21 formed therein, through w ich the screws 19 may pass. The said holes may be reenforced by grommets 22. In this manner the cover is relativel permanently secured to the press at a plurality of points. Aneat compact structure is provided, which is easy and convenient to use.

To facilitate insertion of the tennis racket, expansion coil springs 23 take around the screws 19 and tend to move apart the frame members 17, 18. Accordingly on loosening the wing nuts 20, the press automatically opens for removal of the tennis racket. Moreover, the springs keep the device open to facilitate the'reinsertion of the tennis racket.

The grommets 22 are sufficiently large and flat to provide am Is seatin for the s rin 23 and prevent dfmage to %he fabric df tfi: cover. In Fig.4 is shown a modification of the invention in which a detachable engagement means is provided between atennis racket cover and the screws 25 of a press 26. By this invention any tennis racket cover may in a simple manner be clip ed on toany tennis racket press. One possi is form of the said means will be described.

A connecting element 27 may be secured or pinned to the cover 24 in-any suitable manner. By makin the element 27 offabric, leather, or the li e, it ma be fastened to the cover b a staple 28 WhlCh may be applied prefera ly by hand. I

A flexible or elastic member 29 may be secured to the element 27 in any desired manner, as by an eyelet 30. The member 29 may detachably engage the screw 25 laterally; thus, by making the member like a hook it may resiliently receive the screw or be bent thercaround. For this urpose, the book 29 may be of thin metal. 0 afford a space hetween'the side frames of the press and dispense with the springs, the book 29 may be made of the requisite width as shown, or slightly less than the thickness of the tennis racket.

In Fig. 6 is shown a further modification in which a strip of fabric or other pliable material 31 is secured to the cover 32 as by bein stitched at 33 in the seam thereof. The sai strip has a grommet 34 to receive the screw 35 of the ress 36 over an end of the screw. In Fig. is shown a modification in which the press 37 is so co-ordinated with the tennis racket 38 as to press the cover 39 uniformly thereagainst to seal the interior space of the cover against the admission of any air that might affect the gut of the tennis racket. To this end, the cover may be made of any desired material, including either fabric, or moistureroof or rubberized fabric.

Hereto ore there has always been a space between the portion 40 of the tennis racket and the adjacent portion 41 of the press; By this invention the size and shape 0 the press are. co-ordinated to uniformly bear on the I tennis racket frame and to hold the cover snugly in contact therewith. Thus the tennis nstitutes a closure incombination with e cover for protecting the". gut. If desired, the press may be lengt ened, or the portion 41 thereof may be widened as shown. The cover and prem may otherwise be of any conventional or simple ty The cover attaching means for this m cation racket fram ma be the same as shown in Figs. 1 to 3, or as escribed in the other figures herein.

Various changes and modifications ma be made in this invention, of which the drawings are merely illustrative.

I claim: 1. A combination tennis racket prem and cover, the press includin a plurality of separate arallel skeleton rames, the cover having si e walls of pliable material continuouslys'ecured together at an end and at the sides thereof, the cover being disposed between said frames and havin an open end portion op osite to said close end, said portion exten ing from said walls be ond the press and being adapted to enwrap t e handle of a tennis racket inserted into the cover through said portion, and adjustable end fasteners exten ing through said frames and said walls of the cover at the-corners of the press "said cover bei otherwise independent of said frames, an said fasteners causing the frames to exert pressure on the tennis racket throu h the walls of the cover, one of said frames icing removable from the fasteners, and thecover being r'emovable from said fasteners. 2. A combination tennis racket press and cover, the press including: plurality of separate parallel skeleton mes, the cover having side walls of liable material continuously secured toget er at an end and at the sides thereof, the cover being disposed between said frames an having an open end portion op site to said closed end, said portion exten ing from said walls be ond the press and being adapted to enwrap t e handle of a tennis racket inserted into the cover through said portion, and ad'ustable end fasteners extending throu hsai frames and said walls of the cover at t e corners of the press, said cover bein otherwise independent of saidv frames, and said fasteners causing the frames to exert remure on the tennis racket through the we ls of the cover, one of said frames being removable from the fasteners and the cover being removable-from said fasteners, and expansion coil springs taking removabl around the fasteners within the cover an serving to ex and the same.

3. A portable combmation tennis racket ress and cover, includiraf a liable unitary Ea -like cover permanen y c osed at an end an the side and open at the other end, a plurality of u removably disposed on o posite sides of the cover, and fasteners for tlie frames, said fasteners removably passing through the cover and at least one of the frames, whereb the cover and press can be i used individu y or to er.

In testimony whereo I aflix ABRAHAMFiiZFPiii 

